The Butterfly and the Moth

by LiannaVine

Konoha is a young village. A village that should unite shinobi clans and make them one big family. Yet old traditions die slowly, and some clans have trouble seeing their new neighbours as equals. In such times, marriage becomes a powerful tool to strenghten bonds. While Uchiha and Senju try to unite their clans through a wedding vow, the Hyuuga prefer to stay among themselves.

40. Broken Ties

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Butterfly and Moth

Chapter 39 - Broken Ties

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The day that had been meant to unite Uchiha and Senju ended up driving an even deeper wedge between them as Inori stood besides Tobirama and explained that there would be no wedding vows, no marriage.

It was a decision that left not only Uchiha and Senju concerned and confused, but the other clans as well. The whole crowd stood in stunned silence, wondering about the implications this would have, for the past, present, and mostly, for the future.

Everyone, except for Tobirama, who, for just a moment, was convinced that it all would not matter as long as he could take his crying daughter into his arms and sooth her, shield her from the mess that was this world around them.

So he stepped away from Inori and the shrine, towards the crowd in front of him. Towards her.

But he never made it there.

All he managed was one single step.

One step and darkness spread around him. A sensation of pure evil that had him freeze. Instinct took over, and then everything that was left on Tobirama's mind was the urge to defend himself from danger.

The fist that came flying towards him was accompanied by an angry roar.

"Bastard!"

It was Madara's voice that echoed over the temple grounds. And Madara's fist that searched for his face.

And maybe it all would have ended right there if Tobirama had just taken the hit. But his muscles acted even before his eyes saw the punch coming. He dodged with fluid precision. And naturally Madara answered with a swing of his other hand, which Tobirama had learned to counter with a swift turn of his elbow.

Madara's moves were fueled by anger, and more attacks soon followed. The more Tobirama blocked and dodged, the greater Madara's anger burned.

"I'm going to kill you!" The words were accompanied by a red glow in Madara's eyes.

"Madara, stop it," Hashirama ordered as soon as he saw the pattern of the Sharingan change.

And for the first time in over a decade, Tobirama was staring into the merged kaleidoscope pattern of two different sets of eyes that had both tried to kill him plenty of times, and they were once again not just trying to threaten him, but trying to erase his very existence.

So Tobirama naturally went into fight mode as well, averting his eyes from the Uchiha opposite of him to avoid the clan's genjutsu. He had to trust his instincts and sensory abilities instead, with the awareness that one wrong step and one wrong glance might just kill him.

Madara's anger resonated amongst the other Uchiha, and more soon joined. They did not know what they were even fighting for, what Tobirama had done to Inori to cause this situation. But reasons didn't matter when it was one of their own against a Senju. Just like in old times.

Inori could only watch, painfully aware that her words, and her wedding day, had set this off.

More Senju joined Tobirama next. Because they would not stand by and watch one of their own being attacked by an Uchiha. Fighting for their lives in an all-out battle was still a deeply internalised instinct for those of the older generations, those who had grown up knowing nothing but war between their clans. And they too fought without asking questions.

"That's enough!" Hashirama yelled once more, his voice strong enough to reach even those standing all the way in the back of the large crowd watching. But it didn't reach the ears of those fighting.

Yet he knew that it was only a matter of time until there'd be casualties. There always were when Senju and Uchiha met on opposite sides. So Hashirama decided to put an end to it all, sooner rather than later.

It took a few hand signs and vines started to grow. They wrapped themselves around each Senju and Uchiha that was involved in the hostilities, held them tight and in place.

The only two they were not able to catch right away were Tobirama and Madara, who both knew the jutsu and its movements well enough and were moving too quickly, dodging each other's attacks left and right.

"Stop it! Both of you," Hashirama still tried to no avail.

The Sharingan had caused the deaths of many Senju throughout the years, and the Mangekyou, despite being rare, had killed even more in a mere blink of an eye. Still Tobirama feared neither of those the most. The true reason that the feud between Uchiha and Senju had always been especially bloody was the tailed beasts. The monsters that both clans had owned for centuries.

Black chakra materialised around Madara, engulfing him in darkness. It was similar to the Uchiha's Susanoo, yet its chakra more vicious, the potential much more deadly. Taking on the physical form of two tails, the chakra lashed out towards Tobirama, trying to catch him.

And then the wedding attire the groom was still wearing proved too obstructive, and Madara too fast. One tail wrapped itself around Tobirama's leg and almost immediately, a shiver ran down his spine as pure terror seeped deep into his bones. And he remembered too well what it felt like to face Madara Uchiha on the battlefield. It had not only been his greatest fear, but a fear much worse than that of death as well.

Because Madara had never just killed. He fed his victims' very souls to his demons.

"Madara," Hashirama's voice pierced the air, his own anger suddenly matching that of the Uchiha.

And within a second, the dark chakra was gone again. Tobirama was on the brink of using his Hiraishin to some place safe far away, simply fleeing this whole mess.

But he stayed, tired of running.

When the fighting had come to a stop and Tobirama felt his life no longer in immediate danger, his eyes searched for Akari again. He couldn't find her. And slowly he realised that he could also no longer hear his daughter crying.

They were gone.

"Inside," Hashirama continued when he noticed that he finally did have their attention. "Right now."

He pointed at the temple behind them, then ordered every Uchiha and Senju who had been involved in the fight to leave the premises. He didn't address what had just taken place, simply reminded everyone that holy grounds were too sacred to spoil them with hatred. A short signal followed and guards stepped forward, ready to control the huge crowd and keep the peace if necessary.

Then, Hashirama left with bride and groom and a fuming Madara.

Mito stayed behind, trying her best to hide the worry in her voice when she stepped in front of the rest of the wedding guests, telling them to enjoy themselves with more sake and delicious treats they had prepared for the celebration. She ensured them that these "difficulties" would soon be taken care of, then quickly left as well to follow after her husband and the others.

Hashirama had chosen the first room available to discuss the recent occurrences. Mito took an additional glance down the hallway, and then another, to make sure that the right guards stood in the right place and would ensure that whatever secrets were discussed in that temple room would stay in that room.

Madara's anger filled the air. He was blaming Tobirama when Mito took her place next to her husband, who still had no idea what exactly had taken place between Inori and Tobirama.

But Mito knew. And she knew that she had to act.

"Let us all calm down for a moment," she said in a sober voice, praying that the situation was not as dire as she expected. Instead of addressing the angered uncle, she spoke to bride and groom, who at least seemed calm enough to have a conversation. "All those people out there expected you two to get married today. The wedding cannot just end like this. It would be a disaster."

Inori only stared at Tobirama, waiting for him to speak.

"You heard Inori," he simply said.

"We can still name nerves for the cause of that speech," Mito suggested.

"Shut up, woman," Madara snarled at her.

"Don't speak to me in such a manner," she snarled back at him almost immediately.

"There's no need to search for excuses. I'm not letting my niece get married to this man. I knew that this was a horrible idea."

"This is not for you to decide, Madara," Mito returned. "Besides, had you lost your mind when you attacked Tobirama in front of all those people? Even threatening him with the beasts. What were you trying to achieve there, a civil war?"

"I know my niece," Madara continued, still bitter. "I know how much she wanted this. She wouldn't just call off this whole wedding from one moment to the other if Tobirama hadn't seriously fucked things up. So whatever he did, I'm sure he deserves even worse."

The glance he threw at Tobirama once again looked like it meant to kill the Senju right then and there. But this time, there was no sharingan glowing in his eyes.

Tobirama, just like Inori, simply stared into nothingness without saying another word.

"First of all, we need to know what happened." Hashirama calmly said, looking at his brother first, but then switching his attention to Inori, knowing that his student was usually easier to get information from.

It took a moment until Inori said, "I think Tobirama should explain."

All eyes were on Tobirama. They expected answers from him, an explanation. He stared back into the darkness of Madara's eyes, and he saw the hate and contempt in them that the Uchiha had always held for him.

And before Tobirama could sort his thoughts, decide on the words he should use, Madara started to speak again, addressing him directly, words as sharp as any blade.

"That Hyuuga bastard … she's yours, isn't she?"

It was more of a threat than a question, one that immediately prompted Tobirama to deny it all, not out of shame or a sense of duty, but to protect his own child from the anger boiling inside the Uchiha. Anger that, Tobirama had always been convinced, was unpredictable.

"I'm asking you if you fathered that bastard child," Madara yelled at him when he received no answer. "I swear Tobirama, if I find out that you fucked that Hyuuga and then-"

"Stop it, Madara! This is still my brother you are threatening and my student and her child that you are insulting with your choice of words," Hashirama interrupted him, displeased by the Uchiha's tone.

"Don't you dare berate me," Madara snapped back at him. "You should be talking to that imbecile brother of yours, not to me."

"Tobirama cannot be the father," Mito said, meddling in the conversation. The lie crossed her lips effortlessly. "He'd been in Sunagakure for weeks and months when Akari got pregnant."

A moment of silence followed. Madara's eyes narrowed at Tobirama, and part of his anger was replaced with doubt and suspicion as he realised that there was truth to Mito's words. Tobirama had been away.

"Then what it is, Inori?" he addressed his niece instead. "What did he do to you?"

He urged her to speak up, but Inori only kept staring at the floor, unwilling to disclose the secrets she'd learned only moments earlier.

"Please consider the message you two are sending to everyone in Konoha if this is how you choose to end this day." There was a silent plea in Mito's eyes, asking her brother-in-law to say whatever he would have to say to save this wedding.

Tobirama knew. But what was he supposed to do when it had been Inori's decision?

"I'd like to have a word with my brother," Tobirama tried. He wanted to get away from Madara, and he needed more time with Inori. Maybe Hashirama would be able to talk to her.

But despite Mito doing her best to get Madara to leave the room with her, the Uchiha refused to step out.

"Whatever he has to say, I want to hear it," he decided instead.

"Tobi?" Hashirama asked, his voice heavy with worry and confusion.

Tobirama hesitated. Madara was the last person he wanted to know about his daughter. And yet it seemed that he didn't have much of a choice.

Inori's eyes finally found his, and in her silent gaze, an unspoken demand asked him to finally reveal the truth.

A feeling of defeat washed over him. His engagement was over. The tie between Uchiha and Senju cut. All that was left was to give an explanation. Everyone in the room was waiting for it, everyone except for Mito.

Tobirama took a deep breath.

He couldn't face his brother when he finally said, "Madara is right. Chiyome is…"

He'd meant to say it. That she was his. His daughter. His child. But the words wouldn't cross his lips.

But just him mentioning her name was enough for everyone in the room to understand the implications, despite Inori's silence and Mito's best efforts to hide the truth.

"I knew it!" Madara immediately raged. "First you murder my brother, then I have to watch as you get engaged to my niece, the girl whose father you killed with your very hands… and then you go and fuck her best friend?"

"I didn't-"

"Quiet! I can't stand to listen to your filthy voice." Once more, Madara came at Tobirama with the intention to give a physical form to all his anger.

Inori grabbed his arm before he could. "Please, uncle. Can we just go home?"

For a moment, time stopped inside the temple room. Mito looked defeated, Hashirama was in disbelief, his usually bright eyes clouded with a mixture of confusion and hurt.

And Tobirama could feel his old life crumble. The life where he was his brother's right hand, the trusted advisor of the Hokage and betrothed to the Uchiha heiress.

"This will have consequences," Madara announced before following his niece out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

The bang seemed to resonate in the small temple room forever.

"Mito, I'd like to have a word with my brother, alone," Hashirama eventually said.

His wife reluctantly followed his wishes. And then Tobirama was alone with his big brother, the Hokage.

"You and Akari…" Hashirama started after a moment of silence. "I told myself that I was imagining things. That you would come to me if there truly was something between the two of you."

Tobirama looked down at himself, unable to hold his brother's gaze. He was still wearing his wedding attire, and he became increasingly aware just how heavy all the layers of cloth and silk truly were.

"Chiyome really is yours?" His brother's voice carried a certain heaviness that reflected the weight in his heart, the weight that this whole situation was putting on him.

"I'm sorry, brother." Tobirama glanced at him after all, hoping for his apology to reach him. Because he truly was sorry. "It wasn't my intention to cause problems."

"Then what was your intention, Tobi?" Hashirama asked, his brow furrowing as he searched Tobirama's eyes for answers, any hint that could shed a bit of light on this sudden revelation.

Tobirama quickly looked away again, pondering the question. "I don't know."

Hashirama huffed in disbelief. "You always have a reason for your actions. And you are not someone to just get involved with random women that happen to cross your path. So I have to wonder, how did this happen? And why Akari?"

Tobirama had asked himself those exact questions many times as well. He hadn't found an answer yet.

His silence led to one more question, one that Hashirama expected answered, so his eyes locked onto Tobirama with an intensity that was hard to ignore.

"Are you in love with her?"

Tobirama's shoulders tensed, chest tightened. It was yet another question that he couldn't answer. But Hashirama kept staring at him, waiting. So eventually, he replied merely, "Does that matter? The result is the same. Chiyome exists."

Hashirama's expression was a mix of disbelief and anger. "At least Takuma had the decency to stay with Natsumi and his child. How could you agree to marry Inori? You should have refused the proposal. And you should have told me that you have a daughter, Tobirama. I'm your brother!"

"I didn't know," Tobirama admitted. "When I agreed to marry Inori, I didn't know that…"

Tobirama wasn't sure what he would have done had Akari told him the truth. It was easy to regret decisions in retrospect. But while he had no feelings for Inori, and while an urge deep inside of him was pulling him towards his daughter, he knew that he had acted in Konoha's best interest. A strong alliance between Senju and Uchiha was what they had needed. The village's stability depended on it.

"I only learned about the pregnancy after Inori and I were already engaged. Akari never told me."

The bit of honesty, despite being late, did calm his brother down just so slightly, and a hint of understanding, maybe even pity, glowed in Hashirama's eyes.

"You still should have confided in me. Clearly you and Akari are much closer than I had ever thought. Why did you keep this a secret from me?"

Tobirama thought back all the way to the first night they had spent together. He'd never meant for it to happen. And he'd been convinced that it would never happen again.

"I didn't want to burden you with my mistakes," he said, because that was what it had all been, a mistake. One that he'd made over and over again.

Hashirama's anger continued to wane and was replaced by a heavy disappointment that settled into his shoulders. "I'm your brother. And the Hokage. You should have trusted me that we could find a solution. Together."

"That's exactly the point though. You are the Hokage, not just my brother. Me being involved with the heiress of the Hyuuga clan… that's not just a personal affair. It's political."

The disappointment that was still visible all over Hashirama's face grew stronger and stronger. And the next question he asked not as Tobirama's brother or as the Hokage, but as Akari's teacher, her friend.

"What is she to you, Tobirama? Because to me, she's very dear. And if you were just using her for -"

"She's dear to me as well," Tobirama said, truthfully. "I'm not sure I can tell you what you want to hear. Because I'm not exactly sure what she is to me. But of course she's dear to me. And I'd never meant for her to…" He looked into his brother's worried eyes. The eyes of a man who wanted nothing more but to fix this whole situation. Fix it for Tobirama and Akari, and for Chiyome too. Fix it for the Senju and the Uchiha. For the village. But Tobirama knew that his brother couldn't possibly do it all. It magnified the guilt and regret he was feeling.

Hashirama turned away from him, sighed as he walked up and down the room, then ran his hand over his face. "We'll need to have a meeting with Akari. And with Inori and Madara too."

"I really never meant for all this to become such a mess," Tobirama said, feeling the need to tell his brother that he would make things right again.

Yet he had no idea how.

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Akari had run the moment her mind pieced together the meaning behind Inori's words. Her muscles acted on their own, her body sensing an approaching disaster, a threat.

Madara's anger echoed over the temple grounds behind her, and she felt the rise in the surrounding chakra levels as a fight broke out on those sacred grounds.

It made her heart pound all the more and her feet took her away even more swiftly. Part of her almost expected shinobi to appear in front of her, to restrain her and take her child away from her, to treat her like a criminal. Akari's ears barely noticed Chiyome's cries anymore. The little girl hadn't stopped wailing ever since Inori and Tobirama stepped in front of the huge crowd. It was almost like she knew that this day would affect her life and future too.

Akari only slowed down again when her surroundings became quiet - no shouts could be heard anymore, no chakra felt. And the few people she met on the streets were mere civilians who saw no importance in the wedding between Senju and Uchiha and had thus not gone to the celebrations. They were simply living their lives, selling goods or cleaning their homes.

It was then that she started to question where she was even going. Because this was nothing she would be able to run away from. And after standing in the middle of the street like a lost child for some time, she knew what her destination had to be.

The Uchiha compound was unusually empty. Most of the clan had gone to attend the wedding, which Akari was thankful for. She didn't want people seeing that she was waiting for Inori, not on that day.

Time passed slowly. Akari was still soothing Chiyome, her arms bouncing up and down. Though the little girl had long gone back to sleep, and Akari had to calm her own nerves more than anything else.

And when Inori finally came walking down the street with her uncle, Akari felt not ready at all. Because no time in the world would have been enough to prepare her for the upcoming conversation.

"You," Madara immediately addressed her with a tone that spoke a thousand words.

"Can you go ahead?" Inori asked him before he could speak another word.

Madara seemed unsure at first, but after darting a few scornful looks Akari's way, he quietly walked past her and vanished inside the house.

And then it was only Akari and Inori left, and the little girl who had no idea at all that she was right at the centre of chaos.

The silence between them felt like it lasted forever, to both of them. Akari had a million words to say, a thousand things to explain. But she found nowhere to start.

"You and Tobirama…"

"Tobirama and me?" Inori returned. "I guess it should be Tobirama and you."

Akari's glance dropped, her grip around her daughter tightened. She held her clutched against her chest, like she had to fear losing her any moment.

"I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for? That you lied to me? That you have a child with my fiancé? Or that I finally found out on the day of my wedding?"

"I…"

"You had months to tell me the truth, Akari."

"I know."

"And yet you didn't. So I assume keeping the truth from me is not what you are sorry for."

"I wanted to tell you. I'd meant to tell you, many times. About Tobirama. But it just… It was never the right time. And then suddenly, you two were getting engaged. And I didn't want to stand between the Uchiha and Senju."

"Bullshit. Not the right time? Any time would have been better than now."

"You would have never married Tobirama if I told you."

"Of course not!" Inori exclaimed. "He's the father of your child. How could you even consider letting me marry him?"

Akari wished that Inori would speak more quietly, that she would not simply yell the truth about Chiyome out into the world.

"But you wanted to marry him. You said it was the right thing to do, that it was for the best."

"I would have never said that had I known the truth.

Akari looked around. The streets were empty, yet she didn't trust the silence. "Can we talk somewhere more private?"

"I don't think there's anything left to talk about."

Inori meant to leave, but Akari blocked her way.

"Please, Inori. I didn't-"

"You would have let me marry him. You made that choice. You had months to tell me the truth, and yet you said nothing at all. So really, Akari, there's absolutely nothing that you could say right now that would excuse your actions."

"Inori!" Akari had to grab her arm this time to keep her from leaving. Still there were no words to fix this. Because Akari had always known that Inori would not forgive her if she found out the truth. She'd known that Inori would never marry Tobirama, and that was why she had chosen to lie to her.

"Please, I'm begging you," Akari said instead. "Blame me for this all you want. But don't get Chiyome involved. If people knew she was his, then…"

"Keep me out of this."

Inori pulled away from her and left, not once looking back at Akari and the little girl in her arms.

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Hashirama had not spoken a single word to Mito ever since they returned home from the wedding.

She'd tried starting a conversation, pretended that nothing was wrong despite his silence. Out on the streets, she acted like the world was still in place, that no worries were eating away at her husband, the Hokage. She was all elegant smiles and friendly greetings as they walked towards the Hokage building on their way back from the temple.

But the air around them changed as soon as they entered their flat and closed the door behind them.

"You already knew, didn't you." It was a statement, no question. Because Hashirama knew the answer. He'd seen his wife's reaction to the sudden news regarding his brother. And he knew his wife well enough to draw conclusions from it. "You knew about Tobirama and Akari, and you never told me. On the contrary, you kept this from me. Lied to me."

"It's Tobirama who had the secret. So it should have been him who told you, not me."

"I even came to you about their relationship and you dismissed it," Hashirama continued. "He's my brother - I should have known."

"So what would you have done if I had told you?"

"It's not about that," Hashirama answered. "You are my wife. It should be obvious that you come to me with this sort of information."

"Oh, please. Don't make this about our relationship. This is about Tobirama and Akari. And as Hokage, you would have been forced to take action."

Hashirama looked at his wife. Part of him already knew what she was going to say next, and part of him knew that she was right as well. Yet he couldn't admit it. Not to her, and not to himself.

"You love Tobirama. And you love Akari. I wanted to keep you from being in a position where you had to choose between being a brother and teacher and being Hokage. So I acted as your wife and made the decision for you."

"You talked to Tobirama about her," Hashirama noted.

"I told him to end it."

Hashirama sat down, massaged his temple before continuing, "You didn't act as my wife. My wife would have told me. You acted as the Hokage's wife, and chose the option that you thought would be most beneficial to the village."

"Was that wrong?" she asked, innocently. "It was the right decision. The decision you should have made as well. I simply tried to spare you the guilt and doubts you would have felt making it. And had Tobirama listened to me the first time I warned him about the Hyuuga heiress, we wouldn't be in this situation right now."

Hashirama let out a defeated chuckle.

He still couldn't believe that his brother was a father. That he was an uncle now, the uncle of little Chiyome. It was a realisation that only slowly started to sink in.

"We cannot go on pretending that the relationship between Uchiha and Senju has hardly improved at all in the last decade," Mito continued. "On the contrary, it's getting worse and worse. We cannot afford to damage it further."

"She's his daughter," Hashirama said. "That's a fact we cannot undo."

"Yes, unfortunately, she is. That child is the reason we do not have the tie of marriage connecting our clans. I know that, and if you are being honest, then you know that too. Everyone who knows that she's Tobirama's child would be aware of that fact."

"What are you trying to say?"

"Save the little honour this clan has left and save the child from a life filled with hardships."

"You want me to keep this a secret as well? Just like you did?"

"It would be for the best," Mito said, matter-of-fact. "The girl will be known all over the country as Tobirama Senju's bastard, and our clan will be blamed for the increasing chasm between Senju and Uchiha."

"It is our clan's fault though," Hashirama said. "First Takuma and now Tobirama."

"No one has to know that," Mito immediately replied. "You are the Hokage. And the head of the whole Senju clan. You don't represent just yourself but all of the Senju and our village. If you tell everyone the truth about this child, you are not only ruining Tobirama's reputation. You are ruining the reputation of you and me, of our clan, our whole village. After all, you are the Hokage. And Tobirama is your brother and right hand."

"Or maybe we should just own up to our mistakes. The engagement between Tobirama and Inori is already broken off, the wedding canceled. The damage is done. The least my brother can do now is to take responsibility for his own child."

"Parents have abandoned their children for worse reasons. Like mine, who casted me out thinking I was an evil spirit. And I'm not asking you to cast his daughter out. I'm asking you to be smart about this instead of idealistic. You are not doing that child a favour by revealing her lineage to the public."

Hashirama stayed quiet. He disagreed. And yet he was missing the right words to voice his disapproval. Because deep down he knew that his wife had a point. He knew, but he didn't want to accept it.

Mito could see his hesitation. She approached him, let her hands rest on his shoulders. "You are not thinking as the Hokage right now. This village needs to be ruled by a strong clan. Especially with all the incidents we've had recently. The last thing we need is another scandal causing others to question us and believe that we lack common decency."

"People will expect an explanation," Hashirama said absent-mindedly. "They'll want to know why this wedding burned to ashes at the last moment."

"Almost any explanation would be better than the truth."

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The next day, Hashirama summoned both Akari and Tobirama as well as Inori to a room down in Konoha's secret tunnels. Mito insisted on attending, but Hashirama refused, saying that she had no part in this. Madara showed up unannounced, though Hashirama did not forbid him to sit down next to his niece while continuously trying to kill Tobirama with his stare.

Akari brought Chiyome with her. She would have preferred keeping her daughter far away from this conflict, but she didn't trust her own clan with her child that they regarded as wrong. And she didn't want others to start asking questions. Akari still prayed that there was a way to solve this that would keep Chiyome out if it all.

Because the way Madara eyed the tiny girl scared her. His eyes were filled with disgust and blame. And she couldn't imagine that her daughter would have to grow up enduring those kinds of looks from all the Uchiha, all the Senju too, like it wasn't enough that her own clan wished that she never existed.

"Tobirama already filled us in on the details," Hashirama said when she sat down as far away as possible from both Tobirama and Madara. "Do you want to tell us your perspective as well?"

She glanced at Tobirama. He wasn't looking at her or Chiyome, his eyes focused on the empty table in front of him instead. "No, I trust that Tobirama mentioned everything important. And I trust that he did so truthfully."

Madara scoffed. "It's cute that you have that trust. But I don't. So spill it. What's your relationship to Tobirama?"

Akari wasn't sure what he wanted to hear. And she also wasn't sure if there was an appropriate label for her relationship with Tobirama either.

"This is no interrogation," Hashirama chimed in. "We are here to find a solution, not to assign blame."

"Really?" Madara asked, displeased. "Because you should be assigning blame. And you should be interrogating them. Just because he's your brother doesn't mean he can't be lying. So tell me, Hyuuga, when was the last time you shared his bed?"

The question felt like a direct punch, and at the same time, it made her cheeks grow hot with embarrassment. Still, she decided to answer truthfully. "Back when Tobirama was still in Sunagakure. And I travelled there for the Chuunin exams."

Madara kept eyeing her, trying to spot any lies or missing information. "Weren't you also engaged for a while during that time?"

"I got engaged after I returned from Suna."

"Does this really matter?" Tobirama asked before Madara could inquire further. His voice, while remaining composed, quickly gained a firm, commanding edge. "I told you that we stopped seeing each other after that night in Sunagakure and so did she. I'm not obliged to disclose all of my past relationships simply because I am getting engaged. I never cheated on Inori, nor did I mean to deceive her. And I didn't break off our engagement either. She did."

"You lied by omission," Madara threw back at him. "And let's not act like you were fooling around with random women. You fuck the Hyuuga heiress and then think you can marry my niece? It's an insult to both Hyuuga and Uchiha."

"Madara, please. This is not productive," Hashirama reminded him.

But Madara didn't listen. "But I guess in the end, I can be glad that things turned out this way. After all, now my niece doesn't have to marry such a coward. What kind of father are you, acting like your own child doesn't even exist?"

Tobirama's icy gaze bore into Madara. His next words were chosen carefully, his tone deliberate. He wanted this to hurt. "Haven't you done worse to protect our village, Madara?"

"Tobirama!" Hashirama immediately yelled at his brother.

"I'm sorry," Akari interrupted them. Her eyes switched between Inori and Madara when she continued. "You should be blaming me first and foremost for this. Not Tobirama."

"You don't have to apologise, Akari," Hashirama said. "I didn't ask you to come here so we could blame each other. What is done is done. We should focus on discussing how we are going to handle the situation instead. Currently, only the five of us and Mito know what exactly happened yesterday. Is that correct?"

Akari nodded.

His eyes fell on Tobirama for a moment, remembering the long conversation and arguments from the night prior. "Since your child is of Senju blood, our clan will provide for anything you might need to raise her. However…" The next words pained him even before he'd spoken them. "Tobirama has voiced his concern about the child's safety considering the circumstances, and the truth might additionally damage our relationship with the Hyuuga. We need to discuss whether it's the right time to reveal her heritage to the general public."

Hashirama observed Akari's reaction. But contrary to his expectation, she remained completely calm, and it was Inori who was outraged by his suggestion instead.

"Are you saying that we should keep their secret?" It was the first time she spoke since she sat down in the small room. "She's his daughter," she said to Hashirama before turning to face the man in question. "You are her father. This child deserves a father. You are right here, and so is she, and still you act like you don't care about her at all."

"I'm not suggesting that Tobirama stays out of Chiyome's life," Hashirama quickly clarified. "Though I also don't think that this is a question that should be discussed here today. I'd simply meant to point out the implications this revelation would have on both the relationship between Senju and Hyuuga and between Uchiha and Hyuuga. Keeping this information a secret for a bit longer until things calmed down might be beneficial to all of us. It's an aspect we should consider before releasing an official statement regarding the wedding."

Inori clearly disagreed. She abruptly got up from her seat, deciding that she had heard enough. "I already stated that Tobirama and I would not get married because of personal differences and a lack of attraction between us. That's as good of an excuse you will find if you choose to continue hiding the truth about Chiyome. And whether you do that or not is not for me to decide, so if this is all that is being discussed here today, then I'd like to ask if I could take my leave."

She didn't wait for Hashirama to give his permission.

Madara's gaze followed his niece out of the room, then he slowly rose as well. "I don't care whether Tobirama is true to his daughter or not. And neither will the other Uchiha. It's a fact that many in our clan were already critical about this wedding to begin with. And they will blame Tobirama and the Senju regardless of the reason we give them. Because they want to blame them. You won't reach them with excuses. We need actions."

"Actions?" Hashirama asked.

"Maybe it's time to make Inori the next Hokage," Madara said nonchalantly while he was on his way to the door. He paused for a moment before leaving, and added, "The relationship between our clans has greatly suffered lately. It was never the best. But now there are voices claiming that it was the Senju who murdered our children. For the first time in over a decade, it's gotten to a point where I wouldn't be surprised if some took law into their own hands. They don't trust you, Hashirama. There is no easy way to fix that."

"This is not the right time for a new Hokage," Tobirama noted. "Both our internal and foreign affairs are a mess. You'd be throwing her right into a burning building."

"Better than waiting until the whole village burned down."

He too left.

Hashirama stayed behind with Tobirama and Akari. The two were sitting on almost opposite sides, and Hashirama was standing somewhere in between, wondering why neither of them managed to even look at the other.

Chiyome was still sleeping so quietly that it would have been easy for the two men to forget that she was even there. At least if she hadn't been this recurring echo in their consciousness. Especially for Tobirama, the name Chiyome was an indelible imprint on his mind, a whisper that accompanied him wherever he went. The little girl had taken control of his life and was steering it into a direction that he had not agreed on. He was too aware of the impact she had on him.

"You two…" Hashirama started the conversation when neither Akari nor Tobirama would. "Are you sure that you want to keep Chiyome's heritage a secret for now?"

For the first time that day, Akari and Tobirama shared a short glance. And they both agreed.

Hashirama sighed. He wasn't completely content with the outcome, yet he wasn't surprised by it either. After all, Tobirama and Akari had made this decision months ago already.

"I understand why you did what you did. But I can't approve of how you chose to handle this," Hashirama said while looking at the girl in Akari's arms, his niece. "Have you even held her yet, Tobirama?"

The question caught both of them by surprise, and that was enough of an answer for Hashirama. Another sigh followed.

"I'll go after Inori and Madara. There's still a lot I have to discuss with them regarding this… situation. You two should use the opportunity and talk. After all, you have a child together."

The silence that followed when Hashirama left the room was long and heavy. Tension crackled in the charged space between the two that were left behind, like a palpable force that echoed the magnitude of their actions. Both meant to speak to the other, but both knew that words were simply not enough.

The long silence was only broken when Tobirama rose from his chair.

He cleared his throat. "Like my brother said, if there is anything you or…," he paused. Saying her name out loud felt strange. Even though it was the name he'd chosen. Or maybe because of that. "If you or Chiyome need anything, tell me."

Akari thanked him, politely.

Tobirama went to the door, irritated by the whole situation. He paused again when his hand was already on the doorknob. But he found no appropriate reason to stay.

Akari noticed his hesitation. And before he could leave, she said, "You can hold her. If you want to, you can hold her. She's really…"

She stopped a moment to find the right word, but her eyes were suddenly beaming with love and adoration for her daughter. It was almost enough to sweep the heavy air out of the room, and warm Tobirama's heart just enough for him to look at the baby in her arms, his daughter.

In the end, she smiled and simply said, "She's very sweet."

Tobirama's own eyes stayed cold. He made sure they did. And without thinking about his answer, he said, "No, I don't" to holding the child and left, never looking back.

He was too afraid that if he held her just once, he wouldn't be able to let go of her again.

.

.

.

Tobirama Senju, the man who despised the Uchiha clan, hated them too much to form a union with their heiress and former student of his brother.

Inori Uchiha, niece of the bearer of two tailed beasts, could never forgive Tobirama and the Senju clan for killing her father.

Those were the two narratives that spread in the village like a wildfire. Everyone was arguing whether it had been Inori or Tobirama who left the other during the ceremony. But they all agreed that Senju and Uchiha would never marry one another. Recent events with Takuma and Tobirama had shown that the cliff between their clans was too big, and no one was willing to bridge it.

The Uchiha continued to become increasingly wary of the Senju and the power they held. It wasn't enough for them that Madara and Inori too were the Hokage's trusted advisors and friends.

The Senju on the other hand thought that the Uchiha were demanding too much, and that Madara had gotten off too easy considering he attacked Tobirama and used the twotails' chakra inside Konoha.

And the other clans started to wonder why it was that the Senju and Uchiha held the most power in the village when they could not even get along with each other, only causing problems. And when clans like the Sarutobi and Yamanaka had lived in and served the village for just as long.

Tobirama was standing on top of the Hokage rock, looking down at the village. Incidents involving Uchiha and Senju had increased again - a brawl at the bar, Academy students having fights, a shop in the Uchiha district set on fire. Fortunately, no one had gotten hurt. At least not yet.

"Here you are," Hashirama said, as he approached Tobirama from behind. "I was looking for you."

Tobirama immediately expected his brother to tell him that there had been yet another clash between their clan and the Uchiha. Except that this time, the situation would be dire and grave. Maybe even included a death. Because the Hokage's eyes were tired and worried - so much more than usual.

"Did something happen?" Tobirama asked, prepared for the worst.

Hashirama smiled, but his brother knew that he was only buying himself a bit more time before he had to deliver the news. He was like that - holding onto the happy moments until the last moment possible.

"The weather is nice today," he said, taking a deep breath of fresh air. "Spring is my favourite season. It's so nice when the whole world comes back alive."

"Every season is your favourite season."

Hashirama laughed. "They all have an admirable aspect to them. It's hard to decide."

They stood in silence for a while as Tobirama allowed his brother to put off being the Hokage for just a little longer.

"So," Hashirama started after a while, eyes focused on the white clouds above them. "You and Akari…"

"Don't," Tobirama quickly said. "Someone could hear."

"Don't worry," he calmly replied. "There's no one nearby."

Tobirama was not in the mood to have this conversation yet again. They'd gone over his relationship status with Akari and the existence of Chiyome over and over again. As far as Tobirama was concerned, there was nothing more to say. All that mattered now was to find ways to improve Konoha's internal affairs again.

But there was something different about Hashirama this time. A soft grin was dancing in the corner of his lips, one that seemed sincere enough.

"I always wondered what kind of woman would manage to steal your heart."

Tobirama rolled his eyes. This wasn't the time for mockery. "No one's stolen my heart. It's still in my chest where it belongs."

Hashirama laughed. "You have a child with her, Tobirama. And I've seen the way you look at her. You like her."

"Obviously I don't dislike her," he snarled back at his brother.

"I still can't believe you are a father."

Tobirama looked away, answered with silence first before calmly adding, "Don't call me that."

Hashirama too took a pause to study his brother's face, the frown on his forehead. In a more sober tone he said, "But you are. Whether you want to or not."

Tobirama turned to him, looked into his brother's eyes. "I told Akari not to have her. That's not something a father would say."

The sudden revelation took Hashirama by surprise. Still he waved the thought away. "Our own father said and did worse. You clearly care about her and her safety. That's what matters."

Tobirama stayed quiet. He felt that, after everything that happened, all the months that he'd spent acting like there was no child, he couldn't just decide to be a father now.

Not wanting to discuss this any further, he changed the subject. "Is this why you were looking for me?"

He knew that it wasn't. His brother had been too serious, too concerned. And he was right. Hashirama's face darkened, and the air around him became heavier again.

"I received a message from Touka."

"What kind of message?"

Hashirama closed his eyes again and confirmed once more that there was no one close-by. "Sunagakure are giving Kumogakure an ultimatum. They want their tailed beast back, or they will take it back by force."

For the first time since the wedding, Tobirama's daughter completely vanished from his thoughts. And all he could think about were the implications of Hashirama's words, the consequences.

"That means that there is going to be war."

.

.

.

Akari was once again back in the Uchiha district. She knew that Inori was not going to forgive her any time soon, maybe never. Still she couldn't simply accept it and continue her life without her best friend. But considering that she couldn't turn back time and undo her actions, all she could do was to keep apologising.

Walking down the street, she spotted two familiar figures. They were Hyuuga - a rare sight in the Uchiha district. They were standing in front of someone's house, arguing with the Uchiha standing in his doorway.

It sparked Akari's interest, why her own clan would have an argument with an Uchiha, and she changed directions to inquire what was going on. The house belonged to Setsuna, a respected and well-known shinobi. She knew the two Hyuuga as well; they were Fuso's parents.

And before Akari had reached the scene, she had figured out what was going on. Ise was standing next to Setsuna, staring at the ground in front of him with a childish pout on his face. He'd been caught with Fuso once again.

"Lady Akari," the two Hyuuga immediately said when they saw her approach. They both bowed too low considering that Akari was no longer a member of the main branch.

"What's going on?" she asked, wondering if she could keep Fuso out of trouble.

Only then did she spot the person standing next to Setsuna too. It was Inori.

She instantly regretted approaching them when the conversation likely didn't concern her at all. And the fear spread in her that Inori might reveal her secret in front of them, despite Hashirama's decision not to. Or that she would at the very least show her anger towards Akari, and Chiyome's heritage would be obvious to everyone around them.

But Ise was drawing everyone's attention towards himself.

"I'm sorry, Lady Akari," Fuso's mother said, her voice a mixture of concern, distress and anger. "We had a bit of a disagreement. If you could…" She exchanged a nervous glance with her husband. "If you could not mention to your father that we have been here today, we would be really grateful."

"Of course," Akari tried to reassure them. "I understand."

She still remembered how angry her grandfather had been when he learned of Fuso's involvement with an Uchiha. Though it had been nothing compared to the anger he felt over Akari's child.

Fuso's parents bowed again, once, twice. Then they left.

Before Akari could look at Inori again, Setsuna started scolding his brother, unaware of the tension between the two girls.

"The Hyuuga girl again, really? I told you to either stop seeing her or be more discreet about it. Are you a shinobi or not?" He abruptly stopped as the realisation hit him that Akari was still standing closeby. He smiled at her sheepishly, then said, "I mean, it's not like I told him to see her. More like if he ever accidentally meets her somewhere…"

"It's fine," Akari said. "I actually told Fuso the same thing once."

Ise vanished inside the house. He was angry at the situation, at the Hyuuga mostly, who forbade him to see Fuso.

Setsuna on the other hand gave Akari a relieved smile before his eyes fell on the little girl sleeping in her arms. "Ah, the mysterious love child. She's a cu- …ouch!"

Inori had kicked his ankle before he could finish the sentence.

"What did I do wrong now?" Setsuna protested.

"Don't call other people's children that on the open street," Inori scolded him, though her attitude remained soft and playful. "Have you no manners?"

Setsuna chuckled and gave her a warm smile.

Akari wondered why Inori was with him, at his house. He was Kagami and Ise's older brother, and while Inori and Kagami had always been close, Akari hadn't seen her with Setsuna much.

"Were you looking for Inori?" he asked her when Akari was just standing there, looking at the two Uchiha.

"I was," she admitted. "But I can come back some other time if you two are busy."

"Oh no," Setsuna immediately said. "We were just about to say goodbye to each other when Fuso's parents showed up."

Akari could tell that Inori's smile was slowly becoming less and less genuine. And she wondered if Setsuna knew her well enough to notice as well. There was a sparkle in his eyes that reminded her of Kagami, like they were glowing with genuine, inner joy.

Considering Setsuna's social standing in his clan, Akari was glad to see that he was not radiating contempt and anger like some other Uchiha did these days.

Despite not really wanting to, Inori agreed to walk a bit with Akari, doing her best to pretend that no hard feelings existed between the two. Though as soon as they'd turned away from Setsuna, any hint of a smile completely left her face.

"I'm leaving on a mission tomorrow," Inori said, eyes focused on the road ahead of them. "And I guess most people will assume that I'm running away from Tobirama. But honestly, I'm running away from you."

"But Inori…"

"You lied to me for over a year, and now I'm supposed to act like nothing between us changed? So that you can go on pretending that Chiyome has no father? I can't do that, Akari."

Akari remained quiet. They continued down the empty street, walking next to each other without sharing a glance.

"You should be happy that I'm leaving for a while. At least that way no one will question why I can hardly look at you."

Akari glanced down at Chiyome. If it hadn't been for her daughter, she wouldn't have cared if they publicly blamed her for everything. She wouldn't have minded taking responsibility in front of everyone.

"Maybe I'm not your best friend anymore," Akari whispered, not quite managing to say it out loud. "I know I messed up, and I can't expect you to simply forgive me for this. But you always said that we were sisters. And you can't just stop being sisters; family stays family. So hate me if you need to. But you are my family. We will have to work this out eventually. And I'll be there once you are ready to."

Inori didn't react in any way, just kept walking like she hadn't even heard her. But Akari knew that she had. And she knew that, to Inori, family was everything.

.

.

.

Akari, Inori and Riku had been one of those teams that stayed together even after their training was over and they had all long reached the rank of Jounin. Whenever one of them received a mission, it was a given that at least one of the others would join them if possible. And it was a given that they'd all be seen in the village together, having dinner or training whenever they found the time.

So when neither Akari nor Inori agreed to meet with Riku after the cancelled wedding, he first attributed it to Akari being busy with her newborn and Inori being occupied with politics and clan affairs.

But when a week passed, and then another, until Inori eventually left on a mission all alone, he started to become increasingly suspicious.

So Akari found him standing in front of her door one morning, with Sakumo in his arms. He invited himself inside, saying that his son had been looking forward to a playdate with Chiyome.

But while Sakumo was ready to play and explore the world, Chiyome continued to pursue her favourite activity - sleeping. So they sat him down next to her on a blanket. He started playing with one of her dolls, pretending that he was the father of both the doll and Chiyome.

Sakumo carefully stroking Chiyome's head brought a smile to Akari's lips. She was hoping that they would both grow up to be good friends. But the moment didn't last for long.

Because Riku was already waiting to confront her about Inori.

"You know what's going on with Inori, don't you?" he asked shortly after they had all settled down in one of the many living rooms of the Hyuuga mansion.

Akari had already chosen a room in one of the more secluded areas of their house. Riku was no one she could invite to her own room and simply close the door. There were already enough rumours spreading whenever they met out on the street in broad daylight.

But it was not secluded enough to tell Riku the truth. Even if she'd wanted to.

"She's still stressed about the wedding," Akari lied.

She could see in Riku's eyes that he didn't believe her. But Riku was a shinobi too, even if a lot of clan politics went straight over his head. So he glanced at the open door, down the hallway, and Akari could tell that he was checking whether he could sense anyone's presence nearby.

"Did you two have a fight?"

Akari watched as Sakumo told her daughter an unintelligible story that maybe only Chiyome could understand.

She knew she wasn't supposed to tell him. And knew that Inori had to be dying to talk to him about it.

A short blink, and Akari's Byakugan was activated.

This way, she could be absolutely certain that there was no one close-by to hear her say, "We did."

Riku waited for a moment, not questioning why she had activated her eye technique. "Because of the wedding?"

His glance too fell on Chiyome, and the bright hair of the child that reminded him all too much of Sakumo's baby hair.

Akari took a deep breath, Byakugan still active. And for the first time, she said the words out loud.

"Tobirama is her father."

Contrary to what Akari expected, Riku reacted with complete silence. Usually he was loud and brash, and it irritated her that he simply stared back at her now.

"If he's Chiyome's father, that means…" He said, more to himself than anyone else. It took a moment until his brain seemed to have completely caught up, and all of a sudden, the reaction she had expected came after all. And with a voice way too loud, he said, "Are you serious?"

There was no one around. Still, the sheer volume of Riku's exclamation caused Akari to panic. And before he could say more, she slapped her hand onto his mouth, causing Riku's next question to come out muffled and almost unintelligible.

"You slept with him?" he tried to say. Once Akari slowly removed her hands again, he asked, in a lower volume but with plenty of doubt in his voice, "Voluntarily?"

"Yes," Akari admitted.

"And Inori knew that?"

"She found out on the day they were supposed to get married."

She expected him to get mad, maybe even storm out of the room. Instead he went quiet once more. It almost led her to wonder whether he'd even listened properly.

Eventually, he calmly said, "You know, when we first met and became teammates, I really couldn't stand you. I was convinced you were a spoiled princess. Stuck up, no fun. And if it hadn't been for Inori, I highly doubt we'd ever hung out together outside of training and missions."

His words stung in her heart. Not because of what he said. She'd known that Riku had never been too fond of her. And she too had disliked him at first, seeing how he'd always been impulsive and lacking proper etiquette. But he was still her teammate. Her friend. And it hurt because she was convinced that this was the moment where he'd tell her that he never wanted to see her again. After all, he would always choose Inori if it came down to it.

Akari had been aware before she told him. And maybe she deserved it.

"But we've spent so much time together and experienced so many close calls, I eventually couldn't do anything but see you as one of my closest friends. And then suddenly you were pregnant, and I felt like I didn't know you at all. I had never even seen you with any guy. But I accepted that you wouldn't let me in on your secret. Because, of course, Inori knew, at least that's what I thought, and she seemed fine with it, so I knew I would be too." He turned away from her, shook his head in disbelief. "How could you do that to her, Akari?"

Akari's gaze dropped.

"But also, Tobirama? Seriously? Out of all the men in this village that don't look like a walking icicle, you had to choose him?"

His words continued to surprise her. "You are almost saying that like you aren't mad at me."

"Oh, trust me. I am mad. I'm so mad that I can barely be mad. This whole situation is so fucked up that I haven't really realised yet that this is actually reality. Like, I already thought you being pregnant was hard to believe. Tobirama being the father almost makes sense once you manage to wrap your head around it, I have to admit. You two have quite a few things in common. Both stuck up. Both smart asses. But you keeping this from Inori, and letting her get engaged to him while pregnant with his child…"

"I expected that you'd yell at me first and then never talk to me again once I told you the truth."

He looked at her almost like he considered whether he should be doing that. "I can't. Someone has to make sure that poor Chiyo-chan doesn't grow up with a stick in her butt as well. Her life is hard enough already with Tobirama of all people as a father."

Akari wanted to feel relieved. She wanted to feel happy that Riku somehow took this much better than she had ever thought, that she didn't lose this friend as well. But she couldn't. Not with everything that was going on in her life.

"Maybe you should hate me though. I've created a big mess."

"Me hating you won't help that, will it?"

"But Inori…"

"I'm sure Inori doesn't hate you either. She's hurt, because you did hurt her."

Riku's gaze started to become more intense as he carefully eyed her. Akari felt like he was the one with the Byakugan now, staring straight into her mind. And she feared what he would say next.

But Riku's mind had already moved on to a different topic.

"I'm tempted to ask you what exactly happened between you and Tobirama. But considering that little one there exists…" He pointed at Chiyome, and a big frown formed on his forehead. "I'm scared it'll burn pictures into my head that I'll never be able to forget again."

For maybe the first time ever, Akari truly appreciated the lack of Riku's seriousness, and the fact that he had the ability to make a silly comment in every situation, no matter how heavy.

She wrapped her arms around him, hugged him, her heart warm with gratefulness.

They stayed like that for a moment, with Riku reciprocating the embrace.

Until he softly chuckled into her hair. Letting go of her again, he said, "Honestly, that whole secret love child thing you had going on added that certain spice to your character that you were sort of lacking all these years. You were always so perfect in my eyes. Too perfect. The little Hyuuga princess that knew everything, aced every test Hashirama-sensei gave us, always had the perfect answer ready to any question. But turns out, you actually have issues. Big ones."

The fact that he continued to joke around and mock her while she was having a moment made a big pout appear on her lips. With a good amount of irony, she said, "Why, thank you. That's truly a nice compliment to receive."

Then she too smiled.

And at that moment, it felt like Riku of all people was the only family that she had left.

.

.

.

Weeks passed, then months. Weeks and months in which Tobirama kept working on reviewing and reworking the political and administrative structure of their village while the Hokage had meeting after meeting with the Uchiha as well as other clans. Changes were discussed, relationships reevaluated. And all the while, Sunagakure were waiting for a tailed beast that was never returned to them. With each day that passed without a message from Kumokagure, the Kazekage continued preparing to get it back himself.

Until eventually, another messenger arrived in Konoha. And the Hokage was asked to assure Sunagakure his support in the retrieval of the tailed beast.

"Suna were naive if they ever thought Kumo would negotiate with them," Madara said, arms crossed in front of him. He was leaning on Hashirama's desk, not caring that his dirty boots had left traces of mud all over the floor of the Hokage office. "It's clearly a sign of weakness on their end that they've even tried negotiating. If Kumo stole a tailed beast from us-"

"Yes, Madara," Hashirama interrupted him while reading over the letter from the Kazekage once more. "Suna is lacking the strength to forcefully demand the beast back. They know it, we know it, and Kumo knows it too."

Tobirama was standing next to the door, listening to the conversation while eyeing the dirty floor. He'd spent many nights discussing this issue with his brother. Because Konoha was not interested in causing a war. And they had finally come to a decision.

He glanced at Inori. She had her back turned towards him, was looking out of the window. She too was simply listening quietly as Madara and Hashirama continued their discussion.

"We should go and claim that tailed beast for ourselves," Madara decided.

"You know well enough that's not an option," Hashirama calmly replied. "Suna are our allies. This tailed beast rightfully belongs to them."

Madara snorted. "Rightfully, huh? The tailed beasts belong to whomever is strong enough to claim and seal them. Suna lost all right to that power the moment they let Kumogakure steal it."

"The fivetails belonged to the wind clans for centuries. If we even considered taking it from them, they would surely hold a grudge against us for centuries as well."

"The wind clans only managed to keep the beast for this long because they are cowards," Madara continued complaining. "They hid deep in the desert and no one bothered to walk the dry sands to pinpoint their location. They are not worthy to be our allies."

"And yet they are our allies," Hashirama returned. "We can't be picky considering that none of the other villages are very fond of us. If it weren't for the daimyos of Earth and Lightning not fancying a war right now, we might just find ourselves attacked from three sides. At least Suna can act as a shield on one side."

Madara continued grumbling, dissatisfied with the situation. "I have this hunch that Suna did not send that message simply to inform us of their current foreign affairs."

"Of course not," Hashirama freely admitted. "They asked for our support to retrieve their tailed beast."

Madara started laughing out loud. "So you are the one who wants to start a war with the Land of Lightning."

"That's certainly not my intention. But I do want to see this beast returned to Suna. It's in our own best interest. If Suna holds this tailed beast, then we don't have to fear it breaking out in our village and destroying it. And yet it's also a great weapon that we take away from our enemies. I believe this is the best option, taking the tailed beast back as long as we still can."

"As long as we still can?" Madara asked, turning around to look at Hashirama for the first time.

"You and I are the same age, Madara. And we will not live forever."

"You are sounding like a senile grandpa," Madara scoffed.

Hashirama only smiled. "I am a grandfather now, am I not? And we are quite old considering we are shinobi. Most of our ancestors never lived long enough to see their children all grown up."

"Only the weak die young," Madara commented. "But Kumogakure can surely use some humbling. They've been acting increasingly disrespectful towards us."

"Could this be Kumogakure's plan though? To incite a war between us?" Inori asked.

"I doubt Kumo planned on taking Suna's beast," Hashirama said. "They saw an opportunity and took it."

"They showed up in the Land of Stone suspiciously fast though," Tobirama noted. "And Suna have always suspected that someone might have messed with the seal of the former sixtails' vessel."

"And if they were truly the ones who killed our children…" Madara said, arms once again crossed in front of him. The Uchiha had not yet forgotten about the two murders. And while they had found a culprit to blame, the exact circumstances of the murders had stayed a mystery. "It becomes quite clear why they never accepted a treaty between our villages."

"We don't have any proof for that." Hashirama put the letter away, then stood up to walk around the desk, placed himself in the middle of the room, right between Madara and Tobirama. "Even if Kumo are trying to incite a war, we should try and hold onto peace for now. I've already discussed this with Tobirama, and he suggested that he could return to Suna as our ambassador. It would mean that he'd step back as my right hand for good, leaving the position to Inori."

Inori turned away from the window, looked at Tobirama. "You are leaving?"

"A good decision," Madara commented. "He won't be missed."

"Tobirama has worked closely with the Kazekage before. He'll supervise Sunagakure's communication with Kumogakure and ensure that they are acting in our own interest as much as possible. I believe he's the best man for this."

Hashirama took a pile of documents from his desk and handed it to Inori. "Before Tobirama leaves for Suna, we'd like to rework our judicial organisation. This is a concept to implement a police system in our village. We are planning to grant leadership of it to the Uchiha clan. This way, we can separate power and allow for checks and balances."

"Since you are my successor," Tobirama calmly addressed her himself. "I want you to approve of the concept before we sign it off."

Inori nodded. And once everything important had been discussed, she left together with her uncle.

"Brother," Tobirama said once they were gone, signalling Hashirama to stay a bit longer. "If we support Suna in the retrieval of the beast, there will be war."

"I'm aware," Hashirama replied dryly. "But what is the alternative? Let Kumo have another tailed beast when their Raikage is already able to control one of them?" Hashirama shook his head. "Maybe Madara is right. And they have to be humbled."

To Tobirama, this was one of those situations where no matter what they did, it seemed destined to result in a loss. And at this point, war seemed inevitable.

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A/N

Sorry this chapter took forever. Life's been… busy. Got a new job, a new puppy, and I moved to a new city. And then I also wasn't too excited to write this chapter. But I hope it was still an enjoyable read. Sorry if anyone read this and is now disappointed that Akari and Tobirama aren't together after all, haha. Buuuut… I warned ya! I'll keep milking the drama out of this until there's not a drop left. :')

(Also, as a proud dog-mom, I'd like to mention that my puppy is the cutest shit ever. Hope you're all doing well!)